Spark-arrester.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT KURZ, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1914.

Application filed July 31, 1913. Serial No. 782,255.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT KURZ, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworthand] has for its object to provide sparlcarresting means that shall notclog or impede the draft through the stack, yet shall effectuallyperform its spark-arresting functions.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a vertical section, taken longitudinally of thelocomotive, of a sparkarrester embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is afront elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the completeapparatus showing its relation to the boiler, and railway. Fig. et showsa horizontal section, on line IV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectionaldetail view, on line V of Fig. 2.

1 indicates the smoke stack, which may be of the usual diameter andform, except that its upper end is cut off on a rearward and downwardincline, its highest point thus being at the front and its lowest pointdiametrically opposite. The line of termina-' tion is made concave, inorder that the top of the stack may fit, but without contact, theperiphery of the smoke-impelled wheel 2. Said wheel is composed of acircular series of radially disposed sheet metal blades 3, rigidlymounted on and between a pair of side plates 2 Each side plate isprovided with a stub shaft 4 as shown by Fig 5. Each stub shaft passesrotatably through a bearing 5, said bearings being mounted on a housing6. Each shaft 4: is provided with a flywheel 7, the function of saidwheels being to steady the rotary motion of the arrester wheel 2.Preferably, the blades 3 are imperforate. Each of said blades is curvedas at a, in such a way as to present a concave surface to receive theupwardly impinging smoke and exhaust steam. Said blades are spaced apartat suitable distances to permit the passage of smoke diametricallythrough the wheel, as will be apparent from inspection of Fig. 1.

Housing 6 is only of sufficient breadth to freely contain the wheel, andextends at the rear thereof to a point approximately over the axial lineof the wheel. From this point the sides of the housing are cut down onvertical lines to about the level of the wheels axis. Between thehousing and the stack, there is thus exposed to the atmosphere, about 90degrees of the periphery and lateral surface of the wheel, said exposedsurfaces being directly above the smoke-stack. Diametrically oppositethat portion of the wheel that receives smoke and exhaust steam from thestack, I provide a grating composed of a series of transverse baffles 8,the ends of which are secured to the housing side walls. The rearhousing wall 9 is cut away, as shown, to permit the escape of smokebetween said baffles. Said battles are, preferably, concaved toward thewheel, and are so arranged as to bar the passage of sparks whileoffering as little resistance as may be to the escape of smoke. Thefront lower portion of the housing is concaved to fit the stack, and issecured thereto by angle-irons l0 and rivets (or bolts) 12. At asuitable distance below the wheel, said housing is bifurcated as shownat C, thereby forming two chutes, 14, which are extended downward aroundthe boiler 15; thence downward to points close to and above the rails16, the bottoms of said chutes being open. The upper portion of thehousing is secured to the lower portion by a hinge 17, so that saidupper portion may be thrown open to admit the wheel 2.

The operation is as follows: When the engine is standing, so that nosteam is being exhausted, the draft through the stack 1 will pass toatmosphere between the blades of the wheel, whether said wheel be inrotation or not. When theengine is in operation, the blasts of smoke andexhaust steam strike the wheel blades 3, thereby setting the wheel inrotation. This motion is made uniform by means of the fly-wheels 7. Theconcave surfaces at retain sparks and cinders, while some smoke willpass upward through the front opening in the housing. By inertia ofrotation, and by centrifugal force, the sparks and cinders will strikethe battles 8 and fall therefrom, the descent being accelerated by thedownwardly moving blades 3. The particles thus enter the chutes 14:,from which they are discharged upon the rails 16, my object thereinbeing to increase the traction between said rails and the drive-wheels.As aforesaid, a portion of the smoke will escape through the largeforward opening of the housing 9, but a portion will also reach theatmosphere by passing through the wheel and between the baffles, 8. Thelocomotives forward direction is indicated by an arrow on Fig. l.

I am aware that sparlearresteis comprising rotary elements have beendevised heretofore; and I do not claim, broadly, such a rotatablymounted smoke impelled element comprising a series of blades, the innerends of said blades being separated so as to form a passage in thedirection of the diameter of the element, each of said blades being bentaway from and toward a radial line drawn from the axis of rotation. 1

2. The combination with a smoke stack, of a housing associated with thetop of said stack, a, wheel rotatably mounted in said housin andpositioned to cover the upper end oi the stack, said wheel comprisingblades, the inner ends of which are separated so as to form a passage inthe direction of the diameter of the wheel, and baiiie plates carried bysaid housing and arranged adja cent the periphery of said wheel oppositethe mouth of the stack.

3. The combination with a smoke stack, of a housing associated with thetop of said stack, a wheel rotatably mounted in said housing andpositioned to cover the upper end of the stack, said wheel comprisingblades, the inner ends otwhich are separated so as to form a passage inthe direction of the diameter of the wheel, baffle plates carried bysaid housing and arranged adjacent the periphery of said wheel oppositethe mouth of the stack, said blades being bent away from and then towardthe radius of the wheel whereby the passage through the wheel is made ofa tortuous shape.

4. A spark-arrester comprising in combination with a smoke-stack, ahousing attached to the rearward upper portion-of said stack, saidhousing having an open top v portion directly above the stack; arotatably ciated with said stack, a wheel positioned to cover the upperend of the stack and extending into said housing, said wheel comprisingspaced, radially disposed blades; and a series of stationary bafliessupported by said housing about the periphery of said wheel, saidbattles covering a portion of said periphery diametrically opposite themouth of said stack; the entire top of said housing being open exceptfor said baflles which have spaces therebetween;

6. A spark-arrester comprising in combination with a smoke-stack, anopen-topped housing attached to the rearward upper portion of saidstack, a wheel rotatably mounted in said housing and covering the mouthof said stack, said wheel having an open periphery and comprising aseries of radially disposed spaced blades; and a series of spacedbattles arranged to cover a portion of said wheels periphery oppositethe mouth of said stack, and said wheel and battles being provided withsmoke passages.

7. In combination, a smoke-stack having its mouth cut on a downward andrear-ward incline, a smoke-impelled wheel mounted. in

close proximity to and covering said mouth, and a support for the axisof said wheel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT KURZ. Witnesses:

F. G. Fisei-me, K. M. IMBoDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0.

